The need for simple, low cost cervical traction devices which can be used at home to administer cervical traction to provide relief to patients with various musculo-skeletal disorders of the neck and back is well recognized. Heretofore there have been developed a great number of head halters or other devices which apply cervical traction through the head of the patient. Many of these devices engage the jaw of the patient while surrounding the head. These type of halters not only inhibit the ability of the patient to talk, they also cause aggravation of the temporomandibular (TMJ) points. As a device for administering cervical traction, these devices are less than desirable. Jaw-type head halters of this type pull from an axis offset from the spine and thereby apply an undesirable twisting moment (cervical extension) to the patient's head and neck contrary to most types of desired cervical traction. In most types of cervical traction situations, it is desirable to engage the head of the patient at the occipital area of the head rather than the chin so that the pulling axis is in straight alignment with the spine and so that the pulling force is concentrated along the posterior of the head where it is most beneficial.
Other types of devices for engaging the head to correct neck problems are cervical braces. Such braces, which are referred to as "halo type", actually contact the patient's head with pointed screws which are forced inward through the skin to make contact with the bone of the skull. Aside from the obvious pain which a patient must endure when this type of brace is employed, the potential for infection to the person's head at the points where the skin is broken is ever present.
In order to obtain effective cervical traction, heretofore, it has been necessary to go to a physical therapy department or office. At such locations cervical traction was applied using complex devices such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,109 to Saunders which was reissued as RE 32,791. Such devices could be used to apply cervical traction. However, they were of limited value because their complexity meant that traction therapy was available to the patient only at limited locations where such devices could be permanently installed. As a result, the patient was able to obtain cervical traction less often than would have been desirable not only because of the inconvenience of having to go to such locations at only the appointed times but also because of the expense.
Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide a cervical traction device heretofore only available in a physical therapist's office which can be used by the patient at home at various intervals throughout the day so that the patient, with or without assistance, can receive the equivalent therapeutic benefits associated with more frequent cervical traction use. Unfortunately, many cervical traction devices for home use which have been developed previously are either extremely cumbersome, rely on jaw-type head halters, or fail to provide sufficient cervical traction force in a safe manner to be truly beneficial to the patient. Examples of such devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,971,043 to Jones; U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,881 to Pope; U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,489 to Zivi; U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,485 to Swanson; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,954,026 to Spinks. Furthermore, none of the cervical traction devices for home use offer an effective tension cycling option.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a cervical traction device for use in the home which would provide cervical traction force through the skull proximate to the occiput region in a safe and easy manner which could be used by the patient in a supine position with minimal or no assistance from third parties. It is also desirable that the device provide maximum cervical traction force in a manner which is safe and beneficial to the patient-user. It is also desirable to provide a cervical traction device and method for using the same which enables the patient-user control over the course of physical therapy and its administration in concert with a program recommended by his or her physician and physical therapist.